I picked up Trusting Jesus thinking I was getting a theological treatise on the doctrine of salvation by grace. I should have known better. Apostles don’t do that anymore. Trusting Jesus turns out nothing but a cute title for a collection of talks by Elder Holland. Fortunately, I enjoy Holland, so it wasn’t that bad.

The majority of the talks come from General Conference over the last few years and contain nothing more than the usual. Most of these talks focus on a “trusting Jesus” type of feel good theme that generally encourages members to…well, feel encouraged.

Of these talks, I particularly enjoyed rereading the recent conference address on the story of the Prodigal Son. Here we get an Apostle bringing the scriptures to life like they were intended to be. Holland teaches some of the real practical implications of the story and highlights powerful moral imperatives such as covetousness that are too often overlooked in modern church culture.

All the best talks, however, are those taken from sources other than General Conference. These include an insightful CES conference address on teaching, an MTC speech that really gets at the heart of missionary work, a sincere, introspection provoking CES fireside, and a BYU devotional concentrating on the process of revelation.

I appreciate that Holland seems to make an effort to address issues that we need to hear. Though within this very volume he’s often repetitive and generally soft, he does not shy away from speaking directly about sensitive issues. I think he does it perfectly. Some of the things he says are nearly impossible to say without offending someone, and I think he does it in a way that will maximize his listening audience.

There’s nothing here to stop the presses over, but it’s good doctrine – and, as Joseph Smith would say, it tastes good.

06/04